I get a lot of telephone calls and emails from individuals regarding the ballasting of their loader equipped tractor. Often their concerns and questions are mired in minutiae that seem irrelevant or trivial compared to the real issue at hand. During these conversations I like to focus on solutions by finding out what model of tractor and loader they have, what is the rear tire size, what is their primary usage for this tractor, what is their terrain like, etc. Increasingly we get questions like; how much horsepower is lost by adding wheel weights? How does the tractor manufacturer produce their ballast recommendations? Will adding weight damage my bearings? Will some misunderstood force or mysterious torque cause a problem if I need to stop quickly? These types of questions are almost always prefaced by “I read on “xxxx” forum that I should do this or not do that” or “I read on “xxxx” forum that the tractor manufacturer’s recommendations are wrong” or some similar forum related topic.
My all-time favorite question came from one of our customers. His primary use of his loader equipped tractor was to take a bucket load of ‘stuff’ up a small hill and dump it. With his loader bucket full of this ‘stuff’ his rear end felt noticeably light, and he could not make it up the hill due to the rear wheels spinning. We recommended appropriate weights, and he bought them and had them installed. About three months later he called us. He said that the weights worked great, the rear end was stable, and he could get up the hill with ease. However, a person on an internet forum had ‘calculated’ for him that he was losing 7 horsepower from his machine because he had added the rear wheel weights. He wanted to know what he could do to get his horsepower back? He seemed sincere.
After going through these questions hundreds of times, I thought I would write down a few notes that some people might find valuable. Well, that was my intention, turns out that what follows is more RANT than notes, but I do stand by it.
- Tractor manufacturers do not make up their ballast recommendations out of thin air. They may have an interest in selling their ballast products, but their greater interest is in providing (and profiting from) competitive equipment that will perform in the most efficient manner possible. They employ engineers who make a career out of studying and improving these issues. They routinely work with professional organizations and tire and wheel manufacturers to determine the optimal ballast requirements for a variety of machines and tasks.
- Professional engineers and scientists are constantly working on issues regarding proper tractor ballasting. Safety and efficiency are the primary goals of their work. Unfortunately, as a sign of our times, these engineers and scientists usually have far fewer followers than do internet influencers and forum posters. I see lots of quasi-math and irrelevant/inaccurate information on internet forums, social groups, ‘instructional’ videos, and the like. The vast majority of these posters (often referred to sarcastically as the ‘ballast police‘) could not, as examples, really discuss or contribute to a comparison of the static lateral stability of tractors with rear wheel ballast or determine the torques produced by centrifugal and gyroscopic forces due to the tires, tires with wheel weights, and tires with liquid ballast. Yet the real engineers and scientists who study and consider these things, among a multitude of other issues, when determining ballasting standards and recommendations, are almost never mentioned, or quoted by internet posters or bloggers.
- Do TECHNICAL STANDARDS, published by accredited bodies, for ballasting all loader equipped tractors actually exist? YES! So do de facto standards and manufacturer’s recommendations. Again, these are real areas of engineering and scientific study, and it is not just some salesperson, marketing guru, or company legal department making up recommendations from thin air or using boiler-plate data thrown into owner and operating manuals.
BUM STEER: The two examples of misinformation on the internet detailed below are specific but by no means isolated…
In one online forum a person wrote a 1548-word post (5 long paragraphs plus images) purporting (at length) how the manufacturer’s ballast recommendations for models of loader equipped tractors did not make sense and were just generic boiler-plate numbers that should be ignored. He even displayed his own ‘math’ formulas to support his conclusions. The initial post got over 50 detailed replies from other ‘experts’ adding their own two cents to the discussion. Interestingly (throughout the initial post and all replies), the location of the center of gravity was never mentioned; the percentage of the gross vehicle reaction retained on the rear axle was never mentioned; the load rating of the tires was never mentioned; the minimum tread settings were never mentioned; the technical standard detailing the initial machine set-up procedure was never mentioned. Of course, all the ‘never mentioned’ items (and more) are actually critical to the proper ballasting of loader equipped tractors and certainly would be required to perform any analysis of (or comparison to) the manufacturer’s recommendations.
In another online forum, a poster who has been on that forum for more than 14 years and dished out more than eleven thousand posts advised another forum member that ‘fluid filled tires are the best for traction and stability…’ As is typical; the model of the tractor was never stated, the tire type was never stated, the usage of the tractor was never stated, the ground conditions were never stated. The statement of advice was simply one person’s uninformed opinion (or bias) masquerading as fact. Worse still, according to the replies, the inquiring forum member acted on this poster’s advice and wound up with some broken wheel studs and increased wheel slippage (actually rim slippage). Obviously there were other significant factors that should have been considered before providing or applying this advice.
- It is true that technical standards, de facto standards, and manufacturer’s recommendations cannot possibly, nor are they intended to, cover every use and situation. They are meant, and should be used, as starting guidelines for initial machine set-up. Adjustments in ballast from these recommendations may be required to maximize the safety and efficiency for your particular situation. However when deviating from the published recommendations, it is imperative to then keep in mind the load ratings of the tires, the amount of weight retained by the rear axle, your operating speed, operating terrain, the mechanical limits of your equipment, etc.
- It is also true that tractor manufacturers rarely offer a full range of wheel weight designs. As an example, some of their wheel weight stacking options do not perform well in orchard situations and a more purpose driven design from a wheel weight manufacturer or distributor may work much better. Some of their stacking options come with installation difficulty and lots of mounting hardware that must be always kept to the correct torque specification, whereas a single heavier weight from a wheel weight manufacturer or distributor benefits from easier installation and fewer pieces of mounting hardware to install and maintain.
- The use of fluid as tractor ballast by professional farmers (those that must make a living with their tractor) is rare and largely a thing of the past. Where tractor productivity and efficiency are critical, fluid as ballast is usually the option of last resort.
- The circumstances that call for the use of fluid as ballast in radial tractor tires are so rare that most tractor owners will never experience those circumstances. Fluid as ballast in radial tires should be avoided.
What I hope you take away from this RANT:
Be suspicious of advice provided on internet community forums, social media sites, and purported ‘instructional’ videos. What works for one person may not work for you. Advice provided by non-professionals may not be safe, efficient, or cost effective; and may have no relationship to your situation or equipment.
If you are losing sleep over concerns for any or all of the following: (1) The use of wheel weights with HST transmissions (2) The impact of wheel weights or fluid on your machine’s bearings (3) “Lost” horsepower (4) Braking issues (5) Rolling friction (6) Centrifugal, centripetal, and or gyroscopic forces (7) Fluid use in bias ply versus radial tires (8) Tire deformation (9) or any other concern…. Please consult with qualified persons BEFORE following any advice or information gleaned from an internet forum, social media group, or video wherein professional expertise is not in evidence.
Tractor dealers and tire dealers often sell and install fluid in ag tires. It can be a profitable sideline. If they recommend fluid in radial tires, (and you are NOT dealing with a power hop issue in a large tractor), consult the tire manufacturer before acting on this advice.
As always, we will gladly point you to the best professional sources for the information you require.
We invite you to contact us regarding your specific situation and equipment.
This blog is general information only, representing ONLY the opinions of the author, and does not cover all aspects of the subject matter. Use of the information contained herein is voluntary.
